Thursday, 24 February 2011

Sorry guys, I havent posted in a while due to my life getting pretty busy recently.
Anyway, I hope we can all continue what we were doing before (misc) and enjoy each others content.
To make up for my short break I present you some motivational pictures.

In a world where genetic modification wants to pack your lunch with countless supposed advantages, what do we really know about the meddling that goes on behind those hermetically sealed laboratory doors? Better to take the chemistry of healthy nutrition into your own hands. Find out which home-engineered food combinations can deliver double the benefits to enhance every meal. The kitchen is your lab. You are the scientist.

9am: Eggs + ginger = hunger-busting breakfast (+ lean muscle)

Take the classic breakfast protein of athletes as the control. Now, rather than administering pepper or Tabasco, add ginger and stand back. You have just created an instant-acting breakfast that will speed protein and energy to your muscles after the eight hours of food-deprivation referred to as ‘sleep’. Ultrasound tests of healthy men, published in the European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, found that ginger stimulates muscle contractions in the stomach which helps your body digest the nutritious eggs faster. The food is moved through your intestines more efficiently, halving the time it takes for nutrients to become available to your muscles and allowing you to break your fast biologically faster.

The sweet potato packs high concentrations of cancer-fighting beta-carotene and lutein, but splice with a matchbox-sized amount of cheese and you create a supercharged cancer-killing strain of mid-morning snack. Ohio State University researchers found that taking beta-carotene and lutein with a dose of fatty acids (aka cheddar) mean you absorb 1,000% more of the cancer-proofing carotenoids. That sweet spud also has a lower GI than the starchy, white variety, which means it provides you with a slower release of energy. So whether you’re working out at lunch or working through it, cancer will be the one that gets really worked over.

The healthy genome of tuna is well documented – lean protein for muscle repair, omega-3 to enhance joint flexibility and less excess fat than a Paris catwalk. But the addition of lemon juice does more than just enhance your steak’s flavour, it also gift-wraps another of its nutritional offerings – iron. The ascorbic acid in the citrus fruit converts iron into a more absorbable form, providing a 4.1% higher uptake that increases your dose of the key mineral, according to University of Surrey research. The extra iron charges your blood with more oxygen to feed your muscles and mind, and more red blood cells to bolster your immune system. Pump iron after the gym and you won’t get sick from all that heavy physics.

4.30pm: Bread + peanut butter = complete protein (+50% muscle growth)

Scientists state that building muscle by eating more protein per sitting is flawed. You cannot enhance the bioavailability – the extent to which your body can access nutrients – of your favourite muscle-building block by adding another block on top. Instead concentrate on eating complementary proteins. The University of Cincinnati found twinning peanut butter with wholemeal bread combines a variety amino acids to create a ‘full spectrum’ protein more readily consumed by your muscles, and a 50% increase in protein synthesis. All without the extra calories of a full meal of meat.

Experimenting with hot and cold will turn the heat up on your metabolism to keep you lean and give you more vitamins per bite. A low-carbohydrate salad limits the storage of redundant energy as fat while you sleep, and the University of Geneva found that the natural compounds in green teas resulted in a 4% higher calorie burn over 24 hours. The longevity of the Chinese and Japanese has been linked to their tradition of having hot drinks with cold foods, with the warmth aiding digestion and helping your body to absorb more nutrients from each and every gram of your dinner. So you can go to bed healthy and satisfied and wake up to the leaner, fitter, and more powerful product of your own superfood science – you.

Without enough water, the kidneys can't function properly. When this happens, some of the load is transferred to the liver. The liver metabolizes stored fat for energy. If the liver is doing some of the kidneys' work, it burns less fat. In addition, water can actually reduce feelings of hunger.

If you are struggling to get enough water in to your lose weight dies, I recommend mixing two scoops of Scivation - Xtend with 500ml of water, as it greatly increases the taste, and doubles the benefits. You'll be getting water and BCAA.

Thermogenic fat burners are supplements that typically contain stimulants, such as ephedra (now banned to purchase),sida cordifolia andcaffeine. These products aim to raise the metabolism, which helps the body burn more fat both during exercise and while at rest – even during sleep. While thermogenic fat burners can be beneficial to many body types, they may make some people feel nervous or conflict with other dietary needs. In such cases, stimulant-free fat burners can be used to encourage a higher metabolism without the use of caffeine or other drugs.

Muscle Pharm Shred Matrix is one of the leading fat loss supplements available today and is ranked number 1 on WeightLossGuru's top 5 Fat Loss supplement recommendations. Keep reading to find out what else made the top 5.

These are my top 5 fat burners, I have based the rankings on their value, longevity and also how well they actually work. In my opinion Muscle Pharm Shred Matrix is the single best fat loss supplement available today, as it is good value and works extremely well without any side effects.Many fat loss supplements that have not made it on to my top 5 list can cause unpleasant bowel patterns and other side effects, so I definately recommend you stick to the options that I have presented for you.

Wednesday, 19 January 2011

Hey guys, really wanted to just throw this up and recommend some of the adverts on my blog.
I am currently using adverts powered by Google, which is choosing some fabulous products and services. I have looked through most of the adverts myself and highly recommend checking them out too.
If you like what you see advertised on my blog, simply click the relevant advert and you will be redirected to the correct site in which you can check out/ learn more/ purchase said products or services.

Oily fish like salmon contains healthy fats that aid fat loss, this is why you should be eating salmon whenever you get a fish craving. Salmon is also packed with protein, which as you know helps build muscle.

These are the reasons that I rate salmon as the singular best fish to eat.

2. Grapefruit

Half a grapefruit contains as little as 35 calories and the acidity of the fruit slows down digestion, helping you feel full for longer and suppressing sweet tooth cravings. Its also high in anti oxidants which help protect you from post-workout fatigue.

Try adding a scoop of whey protein to 400ml of pure grapefruit juice for a supercharged post workout drink.

Don't consume too much though or you'll be spending more time on the toilet than in the gym.

3.Wholemeal Bread

You should be eating this anyway on a weight loss diet, as it is packed with slow releasing carbohydrates that keep you energised throughout the day and keep your appetite suppressed for longer. Any time you need to get your fix of food from the bakery, opt for the wholemeal goods and avoid the white breads that contain chemicals.

There are an abundance of supplements out in the market these days that have not been researched widely and have had sceptical reviews. Supplements have to be tested and reviewed to be reliable, so first things first I always recommend sticking to the big name brands that have been tried and tested over time. This assures you that you are taking a high quality supplement, after all if Joe Bloggs lost 3lbs extra weight a week with a certain supplement and hadn't changed his diet or training. Its got to be working correctly.

This is the second instalment in my Sports Supplement Guide series and today I am going to tell you about two of the most researched and proven supplements available for purchase today; Creatine and Amino Acids.
The great thing about these supplements is that they are already formed inside your body, so can never be banned from sports, and , if you buy a good quality brand, will never cause any severe side effects.

1. Creatine
Creatine is THE single most researched sports supplement available today, its safe, available in tasteless form and also ridiculously cheap. I mean you can pick up 500g ( 100 servings ) for under 10 bucks!
Im going to skip the science because I don't want to bore you, after all this is a guide not a science lesson.
In basic, creatine increases ATP which is what gives our muscles energy to perform actions, using this increased store of ATP we are now able to complete more reps or sets of exercise due to our new increased energy levels. This is the main reason creatine is used by beginners, so they can quickly improve their weightlifting or fat loss results.
Creatine also binds to water, so whilst taking in creatine I advise that you are taking in at least 4 litres of water daily. Not only will this increase muscle mass due to the water retention but the increased water consumption will work wonders for your skin and hair health.

A simple creatine monohydrate is your best bet, unless you want

to pay extra for sugars and flavourings in the designer creatines

Many people will recommend that you must complete a "loading" phase whilst first taking creatine to saturate your muscles with it. This is where you take 4-5 servings of creatine per day for the first week of consumption. I however do not think it is necessary and have experienced great results taking a single serving daily.

Creatine should be cycled, for example you could take creatine daily for 3 weeks and then take 1 week off, you then repeat the "cycle".

Creatine Monohydrate is the only creatine I recommend you to buy, just like with protein there are a large number of "designer" creatines that promise huge gains, but contain sugars. You will probably gain weight with them, but this weight will mostly be fat. The creatine that I use is Optimum Health Creatine Monohydrate 500g.

2. Amino Acids

Amino Acids are my favourite supplements to use and I highly recommend them to anyone who gets sore muscles the day after an intense workout. Amino acids in short are the building blocks of protein. Without Amino acids protein cannot be created and without protein, muscles cannot grow.

When you exercise muscle is broken down. When you finish your workout your muscles begin to try and recover and to rebuild the previous muscle bigger and better than it was before.

Amino acids are perfect for use during and after your workout as they are absorbed super quickly and can get to work right away, this helps reduce soreness and the time it takes for you to recover.

Doubled with this, most Amino acid powders are very tasty. My favourite Amino acid source is definately Scivation Xtend. I have had great results with this product and I love the taste.

Mix 2-3 scoops of the beautiful grape flavour with 600ml of water and your good to go.

Make sure when choosing Amino acid supplements that you choose a powdered form, tablets may be cheaper, but they take longer to absorb into the body.

Xtend has zero calories, carbs or sugar per FDA guidelines!Xtend is a precise, scientific blend of Energy Aminos consisting of the proven 2:1:1 ratio of Branched Chain Amino Acids (L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine and L-Valine), Glutamine, Citrulline Malate, and Vitamin B6 that will give you the energy you need to maximize your training while enhancing recovery at the same time. The advanced components in Xtend have been scientifically proven to help speed recovery and enhance ATP production and promote cell volumization. Avoid fatigue by blocking entry of fatigue-inducing tryptophan into the brain. Increase protein synthesis, immune function and digestive health. Promote vasodilation which can lead to better assimilation and absorption of protein. Elevate growth hormone levels.Taken from Scivation.com

Example Post Workout Shake. (What I use for best recovery and muscle growth)

Tuesday, 18 January 2011

Supplements have been available for a very long time, but many people that are new to exercise and working out often ignore them. This is largely down to confusion, with so many supplements to choose from its hard and daunting for a beginner to choose what supplements are good for them, and also good for their wallet.

First things first, I want to tell you that you definitely do not NEED supplements, their main purpose is to "supplement" your existing diet. If you have a poor diet then you may as well stop reading this post already. This is because if you want to see results then you need to focus on sorting out your diet with a high protein content and start eating around 4-5 meals per day. This will help stoke up your metabolism and ensure that your body is burning fat even when your not in the gym.

1. Protein supplements.

Protein is the building blocks of muscle. Without it you cannot build OR maintain any muscle. This is why it is essential that when you are following any workouts offered on this site or any other that you have a large intake of protein per day. I would recommend 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight that you are carrying.

Lets say you weigh 200lbs this means that every day you should be taking in 200 - 300 grams of protein a day.

As you can probably tell that is a large amount of protein to consume in one day. That is where protein supplements come in.

Remember when I said before that supplements really do only "supplement" your diet, this is what I meant.

Say you only take in 150 grams of protein in one day, you still need to consume another 50 - 100 grams. A protein powder or bar can contain anywhere up to 40g or protein and they are extremely quick and easy to prepare and consume.

There are many different types of protein that could confuse you and I'm going to break them down extremely simply to allow you to get a better understanding of what each is and my favorite product from section. Ill even recommend you a store to buy them for the cheapest price.

Whey Protein - The original, the best and probably the cheapest option.

Whey is the choice of most people looking to increase their protein intake as it is cheap and usually tastes good too. However the main reason you should be taking whey protein is because it can be absorbed easily and quickly in to your body, making it ideal for consumption straight after a hard workout.

Designer Protein - These are best kept away from, they are expensive over hyped versions of protein, usually containing a "proprietary blend of protein" that promises huge gains in muscle and ridiculous fat loss stories, however they also contain huge amounts of sugar, flavorings and colorings. An example of this type of protein is MuscleTech CellTech Hardcore.
Please stay away from these types of protein as they are bad for you and a waste of money.

Soy Protein - The same as Whey but absorbed slower. It is the ideal choice for vegetarians or people who are lactose intolerant. It is released into the body at a medium rate making it ideal for use as a meal replacement. My personal favorite Soy Protein is OPTIMUM NUTRITION 100% -SOY PROTEIN
Its great value and also tastes great.

Casein Protein - Another great source of protein, Casein is released very slowly compared to whey protein so is perfect to use at bed time. Its slow release means that your body will be being fed protein enabling it to recover and build muscle, even when you are sleeping !
For Casein Protein I again stick with Optimum Nutrition Supplements as they are by far my favorite, simply because of the high protein content and great taste.Get Your Optimum Nutrition Casein Protein Here

Pea Protein - Not worth the purchase in my opinion, it usually has a low protein content and I haven't found one that is moderately drinkable, Pea Protein tastes vile!

I have devised a quick and easy fat burning circuit for all those looking to get lean and pack on a bit of extra muscle.
The circuit should be performed 4 times to be successful and you should be aiming to complete it in less than 20 minutes.
The reason circuit training is so good for fat loss, is its intensity. In circuit training and this plan in particular, you should not rest. Once you have finished an exercise please move on to the next straight away. This will help maintain a high heart rate and increase the effectiveness of the workout.

This plan wont get you big guns like Arnie,

but will sure help you on the way to get lean.

So then, whats the plan ?

Exercise One

Regular squat

Complete 15 reps with no weight and at a comfortable pace

A regular weighted squat, you will be using no

added weight whilst doing the squats in this plan

Exercise Two

Press Up (Push Up)

Complete 10 reps with good form. If you cannot complete 10 reps of regular press ups please do press ups on your knees, however make sure you get 10 done!.

Exercise Three

Lunge

Do 10 reps for each leg swapping between legs after each repetition.

Exercise Four

Star Jumps ( Jumping Jacks )

Jump your feet out to the side whilst simultaneously raising both your arms, until your body forms a star. Jump back to the starting standing position and repeat.

Complete 30 reps.

Exercise Five

Tricep Dip

10 Reps

Find a stable chair or table that you can comfortably perform a set of 10 tricep dips on. Leaning forward will put stress on the pectoral ( chest ) muscles and this is not what we want. Lean back whilst performing tricep dips.

The correct starting position for a Tricep Dip

Exercise Six

10M Sprints

Sprint 10m and turn around, sprint the 10m back to your starting position. This is one rep. Perform 5 of these repetitions and start the circuit again.

Make sure you time yourself during this circuit. This way next time you do the workout you have a target to beat.

Monday, 17 January 2011

Here is a great video that I myself find truly motivating and inspirational. Not just because of the video itself, but also I am amazed every time I hear Kai Greene talk about his goals and his journey through life. Readers, next time we feel down or hard done by, please, please take a look at this video and re evaluate your position. Whatever goals you have. YOU CAN reach them and Kai ; and the rest of the bodybuilding community is a prime example of this. And my job is to help you reach them.

Welcome to by blog were you will find fitness tips, weight loss strategy, nutrition guides and training advice.
I hope that I can help you improve your life by increasing your fitness and aiding in your quest to lose weight and get in shape fast.